title: Remote navigation systems in electrophysiology.
abstract: Today, atrial fibrillation (AF) is the dominant indication for catheter ablation in big electrophysiologists (EP) centres. AF ablation strategies are complex and technically challenging. Therefore, it would be desirable that technical innovations pursue the goal to improve catheter stability to increase the procedural success and most importantly to increase safety by helping to avoid serious complications. The most promising technical innovation aiming at the aforementioned goals is remote catheter navigation and ablation. To date, two different systems, the NIOBE magnetic navigation system (MNS, Stereotaxis, USA) and the Sensei robotic navigation system (RNS, Hansen Medical, USA), are commercially available. The following review will introduce the basic principles of the systems, will give an insight into the merits and demerits of remote navigation, and will further focus on the initial clinical experience at our centre with focus on pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures.
authors.affiliation: Hanseatic Heart Center, Asklepios Klinik St Georg, Lohmühlenstr. 5, 20099 Hamburg, Germany. bor.schmidt@asklepios.com
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Kyoung Ryul Julian
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Roland R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Tilz
authors.forename: Buelent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koektuerk
authors.forename: Feifan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kuck
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D018780:Body Surface Potential Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D018511:Systems Integration; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*